Rosemary Red Soup (Feeding the Whole Family)

This is another fantastic recipe from the cookbook Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. It is a red lentil soup that also contains beets, carrots, onions, and rosemary…a perfect winter combination. I made this for the first time tonight and it was a hit with EVERYBODY. I can’t say that very often! Even our 5 year old, who doesn’t get excited about any soup other than split pea, asked for seconds. And our 15 month old was literally licking his bowl clean (see photo below). I think the kids appreciate a pureed soup because they aren’t analyzing every little particle that they see. They can relax and enjoy the flavors and the smooth texture. I actually poured this one in my blender rather than using the immersion blender, to achieve a super creamy texture.

I can’t recommend this cookbook highly enough. Last time I mentioned it was in my post about the perfect whole grain bread, and I still think that bread recipe is worth the price of the book! However, there are a ton of other great recipes too, like this one – that are wholesome and delicious, and appeal to many palates. It is not a vegan cookbook, but one glance through the book and you’ll see that the vast majority of her recipes are vegetarian. And if they are not vegan, most of them are easily made vegan with simple substitutions (i.e. using olive oil instead of ghee, nondairy milk instead of milk, etc.) .

The flavor of this soup was so amazing. I could not stop raving about it! The rosemary flavor really shines through – it is worth it to use fresh here. Rosemary is one of those hearty herbs that will keep for a long time, so you don’t have to worry about using it right away when you buy it. If you aren’t sure what to do with extra fresh rosemary, try tossing it with some potatoes and roasting them, or adding some to a pasta dish.

You’re in luck with this one – the recipe is actually on Cynthia’s website, Cookus Interruptus, and there is a cooking show segment showing you how to make it! I love her idea of that pesto-like garnish on the top. Be sure to check it out!

I’ll leave you with a photo of our littlest one, clearly enjoying every last drop!

The soup looks wonderful…who would have thought that beets and lentils make a great combination? That’s why I love food blogs! Because I find combos I wouldn’t normally. Thank you for the link…your little one has sold me on this soup!

Hi Bekah, I just stopped by to look at what you’ve written lately & am impressed again. Kristin gave me Cynthia Lair’s book a few years ago. You’re inspiring me to pull it out & put it to better use! I’ll have to try some of the recipes you’ve highlighted. I’m also learning how to knit, am working on a dress for Megan, but considering how long I’ve already been working on it, it might fit Cora by the time I’m done! 🙂 Thanks for hosting a great blog!

Thanks Jana! Another recipe I really like from that book is the Three Sister’s Stew with corn, black beans, and butternut squash. A friend of mine made that for us after David was born and it was a hit!

Ok, my family hates beets. I’m seriously wondering if I could pull this one off, though. It looks really delicious. I have no problem with beets. Everyone in my family can spot them a mile away, though. Although, I did get them to eat some beet pancakes just this summer and everyone loved them. I’m hoping this is a success, too.